Manual power screw propelled lifeboat



Dec. 8, 1953 A. P. HORN 2,661,112

MANUAL POWER SCREW PROPELLED LIFEBOAT Filed Dec. 5, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ni! i A "1 b Q g 5 w fi \s N a: a N N v g? R: I i sa INVENTOR. 19 72 75217 P H0772,

ATTD RN EYS Dec. 8, 1953 A. P. HORN MANUAL POWER SCREW PROPELLED LIFEBOAT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 5, 1950 fi l I MHM IH H I HWIHHU NM WH T INN h m m M. w H u u m m m m J I h, w $-mw m QM M T INVENTOR. 472 5217 //07 m myzwi.

ATTURN EYS Patented Dec. '8, 1953 SCREW i itt'ii EiiIliif) iiiFEBOAT Arthur P; Horn, Tampa, Fla. Appiieati'uu ectin-bei- 5, 1956, seriaiNo. 199,174

201airhs= This; iiive'nti'onrelates to a beat, his more par tieuiariy to a manually" propelled lifeboat.

This invention isimprovement uiy patent on a lifeboat, No. 1,371,896;

The object of the invention is to provide a lifeboat which has an improved, manually apesable means for propelling the oat. I

Another object of the invention is topr'ovide a boat which is propeued alon by manually operable means that includes levers that are adapted to be Worked back; and forth so that the speed of the boat can be regulated, the mechanism further including movable handles that are adapted to be worked back and forth, whereby this back andforth movement of the handles will be converted to a rotary movement of the propeller shaft, there beihg a means for eliminating lost power and for preventing the flywheels from stopping in center position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a boat construction which is extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture;

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description. e

the accompanying drawings-forming a part of this application, and in which like' numerals are used to designate like parts throughout the same:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertical, sectional view taken through a lifeboat, having the propelling means of the present invention therein;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the assembly of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is aseetional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the struc-- ture illustrated inFigure 3;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line "66 of Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 1-1 of Figure 5.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral I indicates the boat in which is journaled the propeller shaft 2 which carries the propeller 3, Figure 1. The inner end of this propeller shaft is of square shape in cross-section, as shown at 4, and a number of bevel gears 5, preferably three, are slidably mounted on this square portion. These gears are provided with square holes for receiving the shaft. Each gear is provided with a grooved collar 5' with a groove 5" and which engages the forked end of a hand lever 6, I and 8.

A suitable pivot pin 9 pivotally connects each of the levers 6,1 and 8 to a support member ID, and the rear end of the support member in may be secured to the under surface of a seat [I by suitable securing elements, such as bolt-and ziut as sembli'es l2. 7 e v I A drive shaft la isfarranged crosswiseof the boat and this shaft l t 'cairies a pair of large, spaced, parallel, vertically disposed fivwhee s I and I7, Figure 4; The driveshaft i4 is rotatably supported by a pair of spaced brackets I5, and the brackets I5 may be secured to the bottom of the boat by suitable bolt-and-n'ixt assemblies I 6. Each of the flywheels 11' and I1" is provided with three rows of beveled teeth l8, l9 and 20, Figure 3, and these rows of teeth are arranged in the form of a circle. The rows of teeth [8, I9 ahd 20 are adapted to beengaged by the bevel gears 5 upon movement of the proper levers B, I or 8. The rows of teeth I8, 19 and 20 are spaced apart so as to permit the bevel gears to be moved into and out of engagement with the teeth. As will be understood, one of the bevel gears 5 is adapted to be frioved into and out of engagement with the teeth 26, while the 'centermost bev'el gear 5 is adapted to be moved into ahd out of engagement with the "row of teeth 19. The frontmost bevel gear 5 is adapted to be moved intoand out ofmeshing engagement with the row of teeth I8. Thus, the propeller shaft can be driven at three diif'erent speeds or it can be entirely disconnected from the large gear wheels orflywheels I! and I l.

Seeured to the bottom of the boat adjacent the front end thereof is a bracket 2 l, Figures 1 and 2, the bracket 2| being secured to the bottom of the boat by suitable securing elements, such as bolts 22. A pin 24 pivotally connects the lower endor an arm or handle 23 to the bracket 2|, and a hand piece 25 is secured to the upper end of the handle 23 so that the handle 23 can be readily rocked back and forth about the pin 24. A reciprocating member 26 has its front end pivotally connected to the handle 23 by a pin 21, and the rear end of the reciprocating member 26 is pivotally connected to a handle 28 by a pin 29, Figure 1. Secured to the upper end of the handle 28 is a hand piece 30 which is adapted to be gripped so that the handle 28 can be readily rocked backand forth.

Secured to the flywheel I1 is a hub or sleeve 3| which is provided with a plurality of teeth on its outer surface. The shaft M extends rotatably through the sleeve 3| and through the flywheel l1. The other flywheel I1 is also provided with a sleeve or hub 32 which rotatably embraces the shaft l4, and the sleeve 32 is also provided with a plurality of spaced teeth, as shown in Figures 4 and 6. The sleeves 3| and 32, being rotatable on the shaft 14, permit the handles 22 and 28 to be reciprocated in order to rotate the flywheels n the shaft I4.

Secured to the lower end of the handle 28 is a casing 33, Reciprocably or slidably arranged in the casing 33is aplurality of body members 34 and 31. A pair of the body members 34 are arranged on one side of the handle 28, while the pair of body members 3? are slidably arranged in the casing 33 on the other side of the handle 28. A coil spring 35 is provided for normally urging each of the body members downwardl in the casing 33. The lower end of each of the body members 34 is provided with a, tooth 36 having an inclined surface 40, Figure 5, while the lower end of each of the body members 3'1 is also provided with a tooth 38 having an inclined surface 4|. It will be seen from Figures 5 and 6 that the teeth 36 are inclined in an opposite direction from the teeth 38. This will enable the flywheels I! and IT to be rotated in opposite directions when the handle 28 is rocked back and forth.

In use, the levers, 5, i or 8 are moved until the desired bevel gear 5 engages with one of the rows of teeth I 8, IE! or 28, so that the propeller shaft 2 or propeller 3 will be turned at a desired speed. Thus, the speed of the heat can be regulated or controlled. Then the hand grips 255 and 38 are gripped by the persons propelling the boat, and the handles 23 and 28 are rocked back and forth.

This causes the body members 3d and 3'! to rotate either the flywheel I! or ll, depending upon whether the handles 23 and 28 are being rocked forwardly or backwardly. Thus, there will be no lost motion and there will be no stopping in center.

By means of the previously-described construction, power will be alternately supplied to one flywheel and then to the other as the handles are rocked back and forth. These flywheels will turn in opposite directions. In other words, the movement of the handles 23 and 28 can be converted to a'rotary movement of the propeller shaft 2 without the propeller 3 stopping in center position.

What is claimed is:

1. A lifeboat comprising a propeller shaft, a propeller mounted on the rear end of said shaft, a drive shaft arranged transversel on said propeller shaft, a pair of brackets secured to the bot tom of the boat for supporting said drive shaft, the front end of said propeller shaftheing of square cross section, a plurality of bevel gears slidably arranged on the square end of said propeller shaft, a pair of spaced parallel vertically 4. disposed flywheels rotatably mounted on said drive shaft, annular rows of gear teeth arranged on said flywheels to be engaged by said bevel gears, a support member secured within said boat,

a plurality of levers pivotally connected to said support member and having their lower ends positioned contiguous to said bevel gears, a sleeve secured to each of said flywheels and provided with a plurality of teeth, said drive shaftextending through said sleeves, a first handle movably positioned between said flywheels, a casing secured to the lower end of said handle, and spring pressed body members having inclined teeth slidably mounted in said casing and engaging said sleeves.

2. A lifeboat comprising propeller shaft, a propeller mounted on the rear end of said shaft, 2. drive shaft arranged transversely on said propeller shaft, 3, pair of brackets secured to the bottom of the boat for supporting said drive shaft, the front end of said propeller shaft being of square cross section, a plurality of bevel gears slidably arranged onthe square end of said propeller shaft, 2, pair of spaced parallel vertically disposed flywheels rotatably mounted on said drive shaft, annular rows of gear teeth arranged on said flywheels to be engaged by said bevel gears, a support member secured within said boat, a plurality of levers pivotally connected to said support member and having their lower ends positioned contiguous to said bevel gears, a sleeve secured to each of said flywheels and provided with a pluraiity of teeth, said drive shaft extending through said sleeves, a first handle movably positioned between said flywheels, a casing secured to the lower end of said handle, and spring pressed body members having inclined teeth slidably mounted in said casing and engaging said sleeves, a. reciprocating member having its rear end pivotally connected to said first handle, and a second handle pivotally connected to the front end of said reciprocating member.

ARTHUR P. HORN.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 464,408 Williams Dec. 1, 1891 673,584 Prouty May '7, 1901 1,186,420 Montiglio June 6, 1916 7 1,371,896 Horn Mar. 16, 1921 1,632,405 Harrison June 14, 1927 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 581,947 France Oct. 6, 1924 

